This invention relates to apparatus and devices for coupling or engaging the drive shaft of a trailer landing gear, lifting gear, dolly or the like mechanism for use in raising and lowering the legs or supports of the mechanism.
The new apparatus may use a combination of a drive shaft connector and a drive gear apparatus for engagement of a rotary drive apparatus to rotate a drive shaft or landing gear drive mechanism.
Various trailer apparatus, devices and methods may be known for use with or engagement of trailer landing gear. Such apparatus may include attachment of drive units that have one or more shafts and gear assemblies or gear boxes to the drive shaft of a landing gear. These types of drive units may allow attachment of a hand crank handle on one shaft end or a rotary motor on a second shaft end to rotate the landing gear drive shaft. This type of system requires addition of the drive unit to each trailer on which it is desired to practice the method of operating the landing gear and may require storage of a hand crank handle separate from the drive unit.
Other devices may include simple adapters that may be attached to a rotary drive apparatus such as a hand held drill motor. This type of adapter may have a coupling means at one end to engage a trailer landing gear drive shaft or gear drive mechanism in the same way as a hand crank handle would be used to raise or lower the legs or supports. For this type of adapter a powered rotary apparatus must normally be specially designed to provide the proper torque power to operate a trailer landing gear. Also, the hand crank handle must be removed to allow use of the rotary powered apparatus.